The Long-Awaited V-Shape Plane Just Had A Successful Flight

If you still remember this V-shaped airplane, we are happy to tell you that a scale model of this aircraft took a successful flight. The Flying V jetliner from TU Delft is said to carry passengers in the wings and to be 20 percent more fuel-efficient.

The project team, led by Dr. Roelof Vos, built a 3-meter, 22.5-kilogram scale model for a test flight at an airbase in Germany.  They worked with a team from Airbus to execute multiple flights until the batteries nearly ran out of juice.

According to Vos, one of the biggest worries was that the airplane might have trouble taking of as previous calculations shown that rotation could pose a challenge. The scale model was optimized to address this problem but they needed test flights to make sure.

The trial was considered a success since rotation when the aircraft took off was easily performed at 80 km/h. But this is was only one experimental model, it’s still unclear how the jetliner will perform in the real world.

Based on the test flights with this scale model, the team was able to conclude that the aircraft’s center of gravity needs changing and the antenna needs fixing to improve telemetry.

The Flying-V has been developed with the aim of maximizing energy efficiency for long-distance airplanes. The fuel tanks, the cargo hold, and the passenger cabin have been placed in the winds, creating the V-shape as in its name.

The researchers estimate that this design helps decrease 20% in fuel consumption compared with most existing advanced aircraft.

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